Report: Deadly VA steam blast could have been avoided

A high-pressure blast of hot steam that killed two men at the VA Medical Center in West Haven last year could have been prevented if safety standards were followed, the U.S. Department of Labor concluded in a report released Wednesday.

“These fatalities could have been prevented if the employer had complied with safety standards that are designed to prevent the uncontrolled release of steam,” OSHA Area Director Steven Biasi said. “Tragically, these well-known protective measures were not in place and two workers needlessly lost their lives.”

The agency issued the VA nine notices of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions and cited Mulvaney Mechanical Inc., the contractor, for four serious…